Improvement in rotary steam-engines



2 SheetsSheet l.

J. O. MOSSHOLDER. ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

PatentedPeb. 21* 1871.

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No. 112,066. Patented Feb. 21, 1871.

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Letters Patent N 0. 112,066, dated February 21, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT lN ROTARY STEAM-ENGINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the lame.

To all whom 'it may concern.

Be it known that I, Josnrn O. Mossnonnnn, of Lebanon, in the county of Linn and State of Oregon, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Rotary Steam-Engines; and I do hereby, declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had tothe annexed drawing making a part of this specification and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure I of the drawing is a side view of my invention .with one cylinder-head removed, showing steam cut oil.

Figure 2 is a view of the reverse side with cylinderhead.

Figure 3 is a side view, showing steam thrown on.

Figure 4 is a view of the inner side of the removed cylimler-head and steel packing-ring.

My invention relates to rotary steam-engines, and consists in a novel arrangement-of devices whereby pistons arranged in the periphery of a wheel are moved in a circular direction.

The letter Act the drawing designates a cylinderhcad with a central circular opening, across which is fastened a bar, Z, forming a bearing for the journal of a shaft, D.

The other cylii'ider-licad, removed in the drawing, is similar, and has a like bar for sustaining a journal of the shaft D.

These heads are fitted toa short cylinder, a, on

the inner surface of which are cast, one on each side,

two segments, 71 b, through which open the steamouter circumference of the' cylinder u.

A butterfly-valve, O, is titted in the cylindrical valve-seat, and has its journals revolving in journalbeds formed in the sides of the valve-casing.

To the axis of the valvefwhich ext-ends 'without the casing, is attached a short bar, 3

Pivoted to the bars 3 11' is a connecting-rod, x, whereby the movements of the butterflywalves.are made to correspond.

The bar y is lengthened somewhat to form a handle, whereby thebutterfly-valves are governed, so as, at will, to turn on steam in forward motion, backward motion, or to shut oil steam entirely.

Ninety degrees dist-ant from the centers of the segments I) bare the exhaust-ports H. H.

Keyed to the shaft D is a piston-carrying wheel, in each ofthc four spokes of which is a slot, in which slides a piston-rod, r, in the direction of a radius of the wheel.

The slot is widenedoor grooved along themiddle of each side, and, being adjusted closely to the piston-rod r, prevents it from lateral movement.

' In slots cut inthc necks of the piston-rods play the ends of two springs, s s, rigidly attached opposite to each other and to the inside of the rim of the wheel B by the staples h h.

These springs s s serve, in connection with the rollers 'v 'v,jto push out the pistons G G, and to keep them close] pressed as the inner surface of the cylinder a.

e c are pins fixed rigidlyin the piston-rods, and having on them anti-friction rollers c v, with flanches On't-he inner side of the cylinder-head A, removed in the drawing, is cast a flanch-cam, 1), about the circular opening, which cam is of circular form, with theexception of two segmental depressions in its outer perimeter, formed on-opposite sides to correspond wit the segments cast on the cylinder a.

I On the outer edge of this molding the rollers c e have a bearing, and thus assist the springs s s in governing the movement of the pistonsG G.

Steel packing-rings, K K, are used between the piston-carrying wheel and the cylinder-heads.

-An engine constructed ia this manner will admit of beingplaced in a vertical ora horizontal position, as may be desired, and the same is operated in the following manner:

- Let ussuppose, as indicated in fig. 3, that it is desired to throw on forward motion.

1 The lever 3 is moved to the right, turning the butterfly-valves so as'to cut off steam at the ports a -n and admit steam into the ports '27). 'm, and thus into thepiston -chamber, driving forward the piston-heads G G in the direction of the arrows. At the same time, steam is exhausted between the piston-heads through the ports H H.

v The segments b D serve to' divider-those portions of the piston-chamber from which the steam is exhausted from those portions intowhich steam is admitted.

-Wh'ere forward motion is communicated by moving the lever y" to the right, backward motion will be thrown on by reversing the lever, and steam will be cut off: entirely by carrying the lever 'to an upright position, as iirfigs. l and 2;

In the'perimeter ot'the piston-carrying wheel B are rectangular depressions, formed to receive the piston-heads G G whenpressed back by the action of the segments l) b.

What claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A rotary engine, having a cylinder, a, with segments 1) l), heads A A, valves 0 O, levers 3 y, with coupling-arm x, rotary piston-carrying wheel B, with springs s s, pistons G G, piston rods r 'r, rollers e 'v, and cam 1), ports in a m a, exhaust-ports H H, and shalt D, all constructed and arranged as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have here-' unto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH 0. MOSSHOLDER.

Witnesses:

J J. Wm'rzmy, F. Russnrm. 

